Updated With New Drone Models for 2018

In this post, I’m going to walk you through 17 inexpensive drones for beginner pilots.

At UAV Coach, we often suggest starting off with a less expensive system. This is so you can hone your skills before moving on to the bigger guns (like the DJI Phantom 4 or the Yuneec H520).

The models in our list below don’t have all the bells and whistles of higher-end drones for sale, but you’ll be surprised at how advanced their features can get.

Also, you may want to consider learning to fly using a drone simulator. We’re pro-simulator over here and recommend buying the Great Planes RealFlight Drone Simulator. Great physics and many models to choose from. There’s also this free FPV simulator if you’re interested in learning how to race 🙂

Drone technology has come a long way, which means we’ve been able to pack more capabilities into smaller, less expensive packages.

These are some of the most affordable (and popular) UAVs on the market today, and they’re great for anyone looking to get some flight practice under their belt. They’re also great gifts for both adults and kids.

Don’t want to scroll down and read all the specs and just want to see the full list?

Check out the full specs of our list of 17 cheap drones for beginner pilots below:

Note: All specs/features come from either the manufacturer or retailer.

Note #2: When checking out prices, we’ve included models available for sale on Amazon, one of the largest and most respectable online drone retailers. We do our best to keep these listings up-to-date on a regular basis, but if you see something we missed, let us know at support@uavcoach.com.

Note #3: Big thanks to USA Toyz and Force1 RC, who sent us a lot of models on this list to test and review. Both USA Toyz and Force1 RC are U.S. based companies that sell through Amazon. Unlike many of their non-U.S. counterparts, they offer quality customer service, user manuals you can actually understand, and good business ethics. Many of the models on this list link directly to these companies, particularly the first 5 listings.

camera

battery life

good for

The F100G rc quadcopter is both tough and nimble, and comes with a mount for a GoPro Hero 3 or 4, which means you could get professional quality shots. As you can see in the video below, it can be flown in windy weather and still allow for a controlled flight.

The brushless motors on the F100G not only make for a smoother, quieter flight, but allow for precise control while flying and longer flight times—at 19 minutes, this drone has one of the longest battery lives of drones on the market for this price point.

The F100G is also a good beginner/intermediate drone for still photography and aerial videography. It comes with High/Low Speed modes, which allow for greater control when it comes to getting the perfect shot.

EXTRA-LONG FLIGHT TIME + EXTRA DRONE BATTERY & MOTORS: Stay in the air longer at up to 15 minutes per flight, and enjoy a bonus battery for even more fun between charges; we also include spare motors to keep you flying

U45 Blue Jay WiFi FPV Drone

camera

720p, 2MP

battery life

8 Min

good for

Hobbyists, FPV Racing

An exclusive training quadcopter from USA Toyz / Force1 RC, the U45 Blue Jay is one of the more durable beginner quadcopters out there. As you can see by those propeller guards, they can take quite a beating.

This makes it great for beginners, but more experienced pilots will enjoy this quad as well. The Blue Jay has a skillful Custom Route Mode as well, where you can drag your fingers across your mobile or tablet app screen to create an automated flight path.

Box Contents

U45W Drone

2.4Ghz Controller

3.7V 500mAh Battery x 2

USB Battery Charger

4GB SanDisk Micro SD Card

SD Card Reader

Spare Propellers x 4

Screwdriver

User Manual

Features and Specs

ALTITUDE HOLD FUNCTION: SUPER EASY DRONE FOR BEGINNERS TO FLY: Makes controlling the drone a breeze for beginners and stabilizes aerial photography. This is the ideal beginner drone with a lot of the latest features typically found on higher end models.

ONE TOUCH TAKE OFF AND LANDING: Drone automatically hovers at a set altitude after take off and before landing making it easy to control and maneuver, especially for beginners who are not yet skilled.

CUSTOM ROUTE MODE -Trace the desired flight path on the mobile app screen and the drone will fly along the path unassisted

HD CAMERA: Capture 720p high definition aerial photos and videos with 2MP camera; Sync it to your controller to really bring life to your flights!

04

U49C Red Heron Quadcopter Drone

camera

battery life

good for

The retailer Force1 includes an extra battery in this model, which doubles your flight time and is great for folks logging those first few hours of flight. The Red Heron also comes with spare motors, which is a great value add, especially for beginner drone pilots.

Features & Specs

GET CRISP PHOTOS and VIDEO WITH A 720P DRONE CAMERA: Watch how drone FPV (first-person view) flight comes to life with this camera drone. TAKE OFF & LAND WITH 1 BUTTON WHEN FLYING THIS REMOTE CONTROL DRONE: Learn the ropes in no time – easier than many drones with camera live video features

X5UW Thunderbolt

camera

720P HD

battery life

10 Min

good for

Hobbyists, FPV Racing

The X5UW Thunderbolt is a powerful drone with a high quality camera for the price point.

Because of its low-latency FPV video transmission straight to a built-in controller screen, the Thunderbolt is ideal for anyone who wants a fun drone to learn on, but also wants to learn how to race around obstacles with ease.

A big bonus with the Thunderbolt is that it comes with two extra batteries, which is a great value add and will allow you to fly for a lot longer before having to go back and recharge your batteries.

Syma X5C

camera

720P, 2MP HD at 30 FPS

battery life

7-9 Min

good for

Hobbyists

Even in moderate winds, the Syma X5C held up really well during my test flights. This exclusive package comes with an extra battery, effectively doubling your flight time. You’re also getting extra propellers as well.

The Syma X5C also comes with a forward-facing HD camera (720p) and 2GB SD card. That, plus a few autonomous features like headless mode and one-button flips and barrel rolls, makes this a great drone for beginners.

Extras

Features

HEADLESS MODE: Usually, the forward direction of a flying multi-rotor is the same as the nose direction, by using Headless, the forward direction has nothing to do with nose direction, the direction will be the same as your remote controller

3D SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY: Compatible with 3D VR HEADSET on MJX FPV APP, use your own VR HEADSET (NOT INCLUDED) to see the world in a different way

FPV REAL TIME TRANSMISSION: Connect your phone with the drone and the view will be shown directly on your phone, thus enjoy the world above the horizon

ONE KEY 3D ROLL: With the latest technology of 6-Axis Gyro flying control system, it can fly very stable and take better pictures and it can finish the 3D roll with one key, it is very easy to use even for the beginner

Symca X11C

camera

2MP HD

battery life

8 Min

good for

Hobbyists

The Syma X11C Quadcopter is one of the most affordable quadcopter options a beginner UAV pilot has. With its 6-axis gyro direction stabilizer flight control system, 3D lock to help for more precise flying, and blade protector to help with minor crashes, this is a great inexpensive quadcopter for beginners.

Features

6-axis gyro direction stabilizer flight control system

3D lock for more precise flying

No assembly required

360 degree eversion – lets you continuously roll the quadcopter in the air, do flips and tricks.

Hubsan X4 H107L

camera

battery life

good for

It’s pretty basic but flies well. It has a built-in 720 pixel camera. Its compact size still makes it an excellent indoor flyer. Please note that this model does NOT come with an extra battery, propeller guards, etc. Consider getting a “crash pack” from the link below. I wish I would have bought one when I first started flying this thing back in 2014.

The Hubsan X4 H107L is a great first model for the newbie pilot, but pretty bare bones compared to some of the other models on this list.

U45 Raven RC Quadcopter

camera

720P HD

battery life

7-9 Min

good for

Hobbyists, FPV Racing

The U45 Raven is another awesome Force1 drone, with a great value at $59.99.

This drone comes with an HD camera for 720p high def aerial photos and videos with 2MP. It’s great for beginners, in part because you can fly it right out of the box without needing to adjust the drone’s position or orientation prior to flying.

Another feature to note for the Raven is one touch take off and landing, which means the drone automatically hovers at a set altitude after take off and before landing. This makes it easy to control and maneuver, especially for beginners who are not yet skilled.

It also has an “Altitude Hold” function, which makes it super easy for beginners to fly, since this allows for stability in the air, and comes in handy when you’re trying to get just the right photograph.

Features & Specs

ONE TOUCH TAKE OFF AND LANDING: Drone automatically hovers at a set altitude after take off and before landing making it easy to control and maneuver, especially for beginners who are not yet skilled.

ALTITUDE HOLD FUNCTION – SUPER EASY DRONE FOR BEGINNERS TO FLY: Makes controlling the drone a breeze for beginners and stabilizes aerial photography. This is the ideal beginner drone with a lot of latest features typically found on higher end models

UDI U818A Wifi FPV Drone

battery life

7-9 Min

good for

Hobbyists

UDI is a highly reputable (and affordable) drone manufacturer that’s been constantly upgrading their training / beginner sUAS models over the last couple of years.

This model, the U818A, boasts altitude-hold and a first-person-view (FPV) screen, so you can see exactly what the HD camera of your drone sees…in real time. Great practice for those of you looking to get into FPV racing.

But that’s not all! You also get bonus VR goggles, an extra battery, extra propellers, AND and a bonus power bank for your additional charging needs.

Box Contents:

1 U818W

1 Controller

2 Batteries

1 USB Battery Charger

1 SC Card reader

1 4GB SD card

4 Spare Blades

1 Spanner

1 Manual

The camera can capture 720P video at 30 frames per second (with an SD card). This is one of the most popular training quadcopters on the market, and I like this particular package because it comes with an extra battery.

The LCD screen on the transmitter displays a full range of flight stats to keep you in the know. Its light but durable frame makes it a great quad for new pilots to practice with.

Specs

U28W Wifi FPV Drone

battery life

5-7 Min

good for

Hobbyists

The U28W Wifi FPV Drone is a tiny but mighty drone that can reach fast top speeds. And because of the low-latency FPV video transmission straight to a built-in controller screen, it’s ideal for anyone who wants a fun drone to learn on, but eventually be able to race around obstacles with ease.

Given the size of the frame, the motors are pretty powerful, making this drone super fast and agile. As with many of the other models on this list, it has an easy “flip” button which is fun to see through the built-in FPV controller screen.

Cheerson CX-10 Mini

battery life

good for

Allow me to introduce one of the best-selling RC multirotors on Amazon — the Cheerson CX-10 Mini.

It’s a best seller for a reason. This thing is a perfect quadcopter for beginners, and veterans will enjoy flying it as well. It’s great for all skill levels.

The Cheerson CX-10 Mini is (super) small and durable, so even if you do end up losing a few propellers, spare parts are inexpensive. Despite its size, Cheerson still managed to pack a 6-axis flight control board in there for advanced maneuvers.